Support for Residents

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development has declared the Town of Claremont a quarantine area for polyphagous shot-hole borer beetle (PSHB), Euwallacea fornicatus, a beetle native to Southeast Asia. The beetle attacks a wide range of plants by tunnelling into trunks, stems and branches.

The quarantine area for polyphagous shot-hole borer now covers 21 local government areas including Bayswater, Belmont, Bassendean, Cambridge, Canning, Cockburn, Cottesloe, East Fremantle, Fremantle, Melville, Mosman Park, Nedlands, Peppermint Grove, Perth, South Perth, Stirling, Subiaco, Swan, Victoria Park and Vincent.

To help contain spread of this serious agricultural and environmental pest, people living and working in the quarantine area must not move any wood and plant material outside of the quarantine area.

Wood and plant material includes:

• bark
• firewood
• tree prunings
• logs
• timber
• wood
• wood chips
• mulch
• potted plants
• plant cuttings

Note: wood chips under 2.5cm wide and living plants with woody stems under 2cm wide CAN be moved outside of the quarantine area.

People carrying out tree lopping, gardening, mulching, wood chipping or handling green waste must remove all wood material from their machinery and equipment before moving outside of the quarantine area.

These restrictions do not apply to lawn clippings. For more information on the borer and quarantine area requirements, visit the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development website.

You can apply to replace Queensland box trees on your street with other species.

Box trees can be removed by the Town where:

• The removed tree is replaced with a designated tree according to the Town's street tree masterplan
• The resident pays $3,535 per tree
• Each year, no more than 10% of all the trees on any one street are replaced, and a maximum of 85 box trees throughout the Town

For more information:

• View Council's resolution from the Ordinary Council Meeting, Tuesday 20 November 2018. Minutes can be viewed here.
• Apply to remove and replace a street tree under forms below

There are a number of cape lilac trees in the Town, which can attract white cedar moths and caterpillars.

The Town undertakes annual measures to reduce the number of caterpillars drawn to cape lilac street trees. For advice on how to protect a cape lilac tree on your property, visit the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's website.